The People Behind Video Games Give Their Take on the Violent Media Debate

There tends to be one thing missing from the all-too-easy media narratives that offer causal connections between video games and violent crimes and tragedies: the people who make and/or play games. Lawmakers and concerned non-gamers are usually the focus of a camera’s lens, justifiably so, but developers and fans don’t get that much screen time.…

He Wants To Share The Untold Stories Behind Japanese Video Games

Once in a while, a Kickstarter project comes along that makes you want to drop everything and yell about it to anyone who might listen. This is one of those Kickstarters. John Szczepaniak, best known for his work profiling Japanese games and game developers at websites like Hardcore Gaming 101, is trying to raise £50,000…

The Moneysaver: Injustice $35, XCOM $10, Star Trek Into Darkness, 24

Cheap: The final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Moneysaver. Its five-year ongoing mission: to explore strange new retailers; to seek out new deals and new discounts, to boldly save more than any man one has saved before. You have 45 minutes to get Tomb Raider for $30 on consoles. Go! Hope everyone…

Microsoft Vows To Support Indie Developers on Xbox One

A report last week that the next Xbox console won’t allow independent game developers to self-publish on the Xbox One gave people yet another next-gen Xbox thing to stew about. But Microsoft’s Xbox chief says that Xbox One will have some sort of indie-friendly program. We’re not necessarily in contradiction territory here but rather in—stop…

In a lengthy interview published Friday at Gamasutra, DayZ creator Dean Hall says that a handful of people are already playing an alpha of the standalone version of the game, and that the public alpha will begin in or around June. He says they’ll follow Minecraft‘s example for allowing players to buy in for early…

Playing Journey In Real Life Will Get You Arrested

Mega64’s take on Journey is the best take on Journey. Watch until the end. Totally worth it.

Show Us What You Love And Hate About Mario’s Character Design

Ah Mario; the Superman of video games. He’s the modest, iconic, do-gooder everyone loves. He’s wholesome — a video game character you can bring home to mom for the holidays. Like Superman, Mario has had his highs and his lows (I’m looking at you Hotel Mario and Bob Hoskins) but his design still remains unsullied…

Rayman Legends Coming September 3rd, Including a Version for Vita

It was supposed to be a Wii U exclusive but now Rayman Legends—after that controversial delay—will be coming to a total of four systems on September 3rd. Along with Nintendo’s home console, the action platformer will be hitting the PS3, Xbox 360 and PlayStation Vita. The version for Sony’s handheld will include five exclusive maps…

Xbox One’s Kinect Can Turn Off, Microsoft Says, Noting Privacy Worries

The state of confusion around the new Xbox One console is such that we’re delighted to bring you the news that Microsoft’s next console has a power button. What’s more: its watchful new Kinect sensor that must be plugged in for the console to run can be turned off. Oh brother, big brother! Maybe this…

“I don’t want to put up with this shit anymore.” Susan O’Connor—a writer who’s worked on BioShock, Far Cry 2 and the new Tomb Raider—isn’t sure she wants to stay in video games anymore. Go read about where her head is at in this wide-ranging interview at The Gameological Society.

Resident Evil Creator’s New Game Reeks of Resident Evil

Is it stealing if Shinji Mikami steals from Shinji Mikami? Ponder that as you ponder the idea that Mikami, whose last Resident Evil was the last Resident Evil that was widely loved, is making a new game that will ring the bell of anyone who played Resident Evil 4 They’re calling this new one The…

The NHL is Down to Three Active Players Who Appeared in NHL ’94

Hyping the cover vote for NHL 14, the league reached back to that old 16-bit crowd-pleaser, NHL ’94, to make this adorable video. It’s appropriate because one of the finalists is the New Jersey Devils’ Martin Brodeur, the only active goalie whose NHL career is older than the video game. So, once again, it’s time…

Here’s what’s going on Talk Among Yourselves, our reader-written blog: Doc Seuss has a plea for folks to understand sexism better to fight it better. Koda89 offers up reasons why you may not need a Wii U, PS4 or Xbox One anytime soon. And Zarynx runs down examples and opinions of music influenced by the…

Voxel Kal-El: This Minecraft Man of Steel Trailer Looks Damn Good

This blocky version of the “Ideal of Hope” Man of Steel trailer does the one thing that Minecraft recreations need to do to work: it captures the same energy of the original—in this case, the moody melodrama of the upcoming Superman movie—despite looking, well, kind of goofy.

Want To Play Xbox One Offline? Make One Out Of LEGO.

The Xbox One requires an Internet connection. This LEGO version of the Xbox One—made by YouTuber and LEGO aficionado Kooberz—does not. It might not be able to render Call of Duty dogs, but at least you can put it under your television and play pretend.

The Opening Of Game of Thrones, Done In StarCraft

There was no new episode Game of Thrones this week, but the show’s famous opening title sequence—recreated with StarCraft II units in the game’s cutscene editor—might ease the pain. We’ve seen similar attempts before, but YouTube user Tolkfan’s video perfectly mimics the animations and spins in the original intro. [Insert Game of Drones joke here.]…

Four Things To Know About That Borderlands 2 Tiny Tina Campaign DLC

It’s ok if you’ve never played Dungeons and Dragons before. You can still appreciate Borderlands 2 shoved into a fantasy-trope skin. Why? Because the whole thing is narrated by Tiny Tina with a few eye-rolly comments from Lilith or an adorably clueless remark by Brick. And chances are you’ve played some variation of a fantasy…

Yakuza on the Wii U Is an “Experiment” and Not Happening for the 3DS

Yakuza 1 & 2 HD is coming to the Wii U. But what about future Yakuza games? Are they headed to the Wii U? And how about the 3DS? So many questions! In a recent interview, Yakuza producer Toshihiro Nagoshi described the Wii U release as “an experiment” to see how many Wii U owners…

Project Diva F Looks Good On The Vita, Even Better on the PS3

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva f, released last August, is one of the Vita’s best-selling games despite never being released outside of Japan. Then back in March the PS3 version of the game, Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F (notice the capital “F”) was released as well. And while there are several differences in features between the…

Guns, Mercs, Tactics, Mechs, And Explosions: This Is Black Talons

Or, more eloquently, Black Talons is an upcoming real-time tactics game for the PC. A real-time XCOM in another galaxy, if you will. You take your squad from mission to mission, planet to planet, training them up in the process, with the goal of taking down the evil government in the end. Clichéd, yes—but fun-looking.